RMcQ

Like many others my allroad's blinkers started going crazy and then pretty much stopped all together. I am out of warranty and am the self designated forum no warranty guinnea pig to assess the viability of ownership without warranty. I will note that this failure occured at about 80,000 miles and almost exactly one year after my last unscheduled repair.

The relay just craps out. I was able to revive it for a while by disassembling it and cleaning the contacts, but in the end I just ordered one for <b>$23.67</b> from <a href="http://www.impexfap.com">Impexfap.com</a> (FKA vwparts.com)

This brings my grand total of non-scheduled out of warranty costs to <b>$260.58</b> at 80,000 miles. This represents 30,000 miles out of warranty and a total of 3.75 years of ownership.

3/1/03 - <a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/allroad/msgs/49702.phtml">Fan Control Module $180.22</a>
7/20/03 - <a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/allroad/msgs/54005.phtml">Oxygen Sensors $53.95</a>
9/4/03 - <a href="https://forums.audiworld.com/allroad/msgs/57899.phtml">Warning triangle hatch latch</a>
9/1/2004 - Turn signal relay

If you have the turn signal problem out of warranty the fix is very easy. Pop off the trim that surrounds the hazard light button, level controls, and cupholder. I used a flat screwdriver under a single fold of thick cloth (not terry cloth, but a dense cloth). Others have used a plastic putty knife with success. Start at the bottom and pry at the location of the clips labeled "4" in the following pic from the Bentley manual. Once you pop one clip out your should be able to use your fingers to do the rest.

<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/console_trim.jpg">

Once the trim is off grap the edge of the hazard switch body with some needle nose pliers and pull it out of the dash:

<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/relay1.JPG">

You will then unplug the thing as a unit from the car. This unit is part number <b>4B0941509DB98</b> available for under $25. when you get the new one plug it in and insert it into the dash until it locks in place. Pop trim back and and forget about it for another 3-4 years.

If you choose to mess with it like I did you can pull the thing apart by prying the cover off the unit and revealing the separate parts:

<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/relay2.JPG">

My degree is in Civil Engineering so forgive the poor explanation of the electronics, but the copper coil on the bottom of the following picture is the relay that opens and closes the circuit for the blinker lights. That clicking you hear is literally that switch being snapped opened and closed on the side of that coil. You can see the contacts down where the very end of my hooked pick is in the following picture.

<img src="http://mywebpages.comcast.net/ryanjen1/allroad/relay3.JPG">

The other coil on the top of this picture is for the hazard lights. More than likely your hazards will work fine because that switch does not wear out.

So I revived mine by scraping the contacts clean with my pick. This allowed me to use my blinkers while I waited for the new assembly to arrive. I could have pushed it to see how much longer they would have worked after my repair, but for $23 I figured I'd just put the new one in and forget about it.

mikef

RmcQ you are the man. A few weeks ago I had my oxygen sensor fail, and I got my problem solved with your helpful post. Now, by blinker relay is on the fritz. Your post helped me again. And, guess what, I need a new latch for my road hazard triangle. Incredible! My 2001 allroad (69K miles) has had the exact three problems out of warranty as yours. You seem to be a few months ahead of me in each case.

Next time you have a problem, make sure to contact me, so I know mine will fail before it does.

Thanks

Mike F

cnpc

Thanks RMcQ, for posting this info. I have 2001 A6 Avant, my blinker was going south. I used your info and took it out, used contact cleaner, topped up the blinker fluid and all is well.

I was looking into buying a new one but will hold off for now.

CTT4.2

Thanks for the write up, very useful as I did this last week wit the guidance. The only thing I would add is that getting the old relay out with the needlenosers was not easy. I found it easiest once I had broken off the orange button on the front, then I got a decent grip.

allwheel4.2

Thank You

A6Bman

Thanks so much for this write up!!

wildcyote1

you pictures are not working in this post and I am having the same problem on 2001 A4 Q. I think the fix should work and i want to try it.

mness

Awesome - this worked for my '00 A4 also, in about 5 minutes. Probably would have cost $200 for the dealer to do.

A tip for getting the trim off without scraping it (at least for the A4): open the cupholder partway, and put the screwdriver BEHIND the trim piece and pry it off from there. There's a perfect sized gap behind the trim. Then you don't have to worry about scraping the visible side.

hongyun

hi , i am a Chinese , i am live in China now . i'm come here from the Google.
my English is bad(poor?) , so i don't know can you see me , i hope you can...
i have an a6 2.8Q(c5 1999) , it is broken now , it look likes this one : https://forums.audiworld.com/a6/msgs/533681.phtml
i want to fix it DIY , so i find this
article(https://forums.audiworld.com/allroad/msgs/91515.phtml) , the article was very meaty , but i can't see the pic , you know , i need the pic , because i don't know which parts is broken , and location is where ?
i hope somebody can help me , thank you , my friends...
you can put the pic here , or send to my Email:touhaorenwu000@126.com
long after(not long after?) , i will show you some pic , my car and my country :-)

sabur7

Thanks to this post, I just successfully diagnosed and replaced a faulty hazard light relay on a used 96 A6 I just purchased. The blinkers would flash once but would not remain on. This was happening on both sides. The hazard light wasn't working at all.

I was able to pop off the trim by going up under the plastic trim from near where the radio cover comes down.

I was careful not to break the hazard light button off, but since you are replacing the whole unit, it doesn't matter as much, unless u want to dismantle it and troubleshoot the relay further.

I want to point out that my model had a G instead of the D model and had 7 pins on the back of the relay.

4B0 941 509 G B98

When i ordered the part from the dealership, it had been superceded by another model with a J near the end, so the part I replaced it with was

4B0 941 509 J B98

The part cost me 68.50 + tax for a total of 72 and some change.